Tuesday, 30 March 2021

PETER CUSHING TALKS PSYCHO : LEE PLAYS SANTA AND PLAYS FOR LAUGHS WITH DRACULA


PETER CUSHING TALKS ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S PSYCHO! Yes, you read that title right! Maybe the last film you would ever have thought, you would ever hear Peter Cushing discussing, as he often shared that he didn't watch violent films or even more surprising, 'Horror Fantasies', like the themed films he himself appeared in! But here we are, part of an interview, we'll be sharing in it's entirety, at the   Facebook PCASUK Fan Page  very soon! You can catch this extract at the Facebook Page now,HERE!  
 

ABOVE: From our PCASUK supplement website/blog TheBlackBoxClub.Com, here is a selection of rare on set and scene stills from Hitchcock's PSYCHO, which might just put you in moood to watch the film or indeed if you have not seen the film, see if you agree with Cushing's opinion?  Just CLICK HERE! 
 

LAST WEEKEND on the Facebook PCASUK Fan Page themed #CHRISTOPHERLEE Saturday, I made and shared this little gem image banner! HO HO OH! Who would have thought that Christopher Lee once guested as FATHER CHRISTMAS and entertained children and families at London's Selfridge's department store? I am not sure what year this could have been, but I'll put a guess on late 60's to early 1970's? Maybe you know better? Either way, the sharing of these images has stirred quite an interest on the Facebook PCASUK Fan Page, with some followers making reference to Lee's early working days in the UK store, Simpsons, too.
 

ANOTHER SHARED LEE PHOTOGRAPH
, that also stirred up interest this weekend, is this on set still of Lee in his canvas set chair, in a costume or film I couldn't place! We all agreed, we LOVED the coat and the cane. But it took,
Nicholas Dubreuil, from France to supply us with the film and role! It is the 1976, ' DRACULA PÈRE ET FILS',(Dracula Father and Son) with Lee costumed as the titled character, here sitting in the forest of Rambouillet near Paris, no less! To my shame, I must admit to never having seen this film, as everytime I tried to get my hands on a copy, it proved to be so bad a print, with even worse audio, it proved unwatchable. But, I hope to remedy this year. One of many Christopher Lee films, I have yet to catch!
 


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YOU ARE MOST WELCOME TO JOIN US and over 34,000 others Peter Cushing followers at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE! With posts every day, rare images and photographs, features and prize competitions.. all celebrating the LIFE and CAREER of Peter Cushing  OBE    

LEE, HERVE VILLECHAIZE AND THE GOLDEN GUN : SELFIES WITH PETER CUSHING AND REMEMBERING RALPH BATES 30 YEARS ON


HERE'S SMALL SELECTION OF POST FROM THE LAST WEEK AT OUR FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE. YOU'LL FIND LINKS TO THE FEATURES, IN THE TEXT!
 
#ChristopherLee and Herve Villechaize, in a 1974 promo interview with Bobby Wygant for 'The Man with the Golden Gun' ... there is much in this chat, that makes quite insensitive, un-pc and weird viewing today. In 1974 the producers idea of teaming a 6ft 4' actor with a "person of short stature" a great box office and commercial angle.
 

SOME TODAY, would no doubt still see that to be the case. What is interesting here is, learning of Lee's problems too. Make of it what you will, even without these awkward areas, it is still a strange interview today . . Although, personally for Lee, his intelligence and good manners, maybe saves his day? What do you think?? You'll find this post at the facebook fan page, RIGHT HERE!
 

CANDID CUSHING: Peter Cushing and his wife Helen at the premiere of 'The End Of The Affair' in London, February 1955
 

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY REQUESTED RE-POST How cool is this? Peter Cushing's walks through his home town of Whitstable were often opportunities for visiting fans to bump into Peter and have a chat, but also Peter had many friends in the town, who he would often meet on the street or beach, during his daily jaunt. One of these were the Hewlett family. Many UK followers here will I am sure recognise Donald from the extremely popular 1970's BBC tv comedy series, 'It Ain't Half Hot, Mum', in which he played Colonel Charles Reynolds 😀 Peter was very good friends with the family. This photograph was taken on the beach just outside Peter's own front door  . . .
 

WHEN FRASER MET PETER CUSHING: Thanks to Fraser Tennant who sent in this pic of his meeting with PC in Whitstable back in 1986. If you have pic of a meeting with Peter Cushing that you'd like to share, we'd love to share it! Here's Fraser story behind this meeting: 'This picture was taken on 27 July 1986 in Whitstable, Kent, but outside a bookshop (the name of which I can no longer recall). 
 
'My family and I had gone to Whitstable on holiday with the vague notion of perhaps meeting Cushing , I cannot recall why we thought this, but it was around the time of the publication of his first autobiography. We visited the afore-mentioned bookshop where we were told that he was away. As we were leaving Whitstable we stopped at the Tudor Tea Rooms where we encountered the man himself. Being slightly intimidated at that time, my father approached him first and then I went over to speak to him face-to-face. I remember he was reading a Sherlock Holmes story'.
 
'Next he kissed my mother’s hand and we all discussed a few things including that week’s Royal Wedding (Andrew and Sarah) and the House of the Long Shadows film. He then went outside and got on his bike and we went back to meet him at the bookshop where the picture was taken and he signed a number of items for me including the book and some photographs. I’m really so glad that we got a picture as memory does tend to fade after a while....' 
 

POSTED ON MARCH 27TH, THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF ACTOR RALPH BATES PASSING…. 'The actor RALPH BATES, who sadly left us 30 years ago today, pictured here with his son Will Bates, who also played his on screen son in the sitcom Dear John. A much loved man by everyone who ever met him.... and very good friend to lovers of his films, always had a smile, never turned down an interview, such a lovely, solid bloke.
 





 



HERE ARE SOME IMAGES taken by Ralph Bates wife, Virginia Wetherell Bates of Ralph Bates resting place along with his memorial at Chiswick Cemetery, London. Many thanks to Timon Goode for sharing these. . . - Marcus 
 


"When Ralph was diagnosed as having cancer of the pancreas, I was told that nothing could be done and he only had between six and eight weeks left to live. He was 50 years old, playing in the West End with a movie lined up for the autumn….he and our 13 year old son, William, had enjoyed the summer together messing about in boats and he’d spent many evenings with Daisy, our daughter, helping her with lines for the TV series, “Forever Green”. I couldn’t believe this was happening to my family…surely it wasn’t true, something could be done.
 
But it couldn’t. And in spite of the tremendous care at the Royal Masonic Hospital, the predictions were correct. Ten weeks and one day later, Ralph died”
 
Virginia Bates - Ralph Bates Wife  
 

The Ralph Bates Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund, is a registered charity with trustees of Virginia Bates, Dr John Glees MD FRCR, Michael Bridge FCA, Sharon Sullivan, Nigel Baly BSC, Les Biggs ACIS (Secretary) and Sir Peter Blake CBE,RDI,RA. If you need their help or want to make a contribution or contact them , here is a LINK and their location. HERE and here: Bates Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund 317 Old Bedford Road, LUTON, LU2 7BL England.
 


YOU ARE MOST WELCOME TO JOIN US and over 34,000 others Peter Cushing followers at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE! With posts every day, rare images and photographs, features and prize competitions.. all celebrating the LIFE and CAREER of Peter Cushing  OBE    

Thursday, 18 March 2021

INDICATOR #POWERHOUSEFILMS RELEASES #PETERCUSHING CAPTAIN CLEGG AS TOP OF THE BILL IN #HAMMERFILMS BOX SET SIX

 
#NEWS: #Indicator announces their Hammer Box Set Number SIX, with #PeterCushing's 'Captain Clegg' aka 'Night Creatures' heading the bill! Here is the spec on the film content, with some interesting extras. 'Clegg' is certainly one of my top ten of in Cushing's #Hammerfilms work . . how about you? - Marcus
 

INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY BOX SET
Release Date June 21st 2021
 
SPECIAL FEATURES
 
THE SHADOW OF THE CAT
 

High Definition remaster
Original mono audio
Audio commentary by film historian Bruce G Hallenbeck (2020)
In The Shadow Of Shelley (2020): in-depth interview with the legendary horror actress #BarbaraShelley
Catastrophe (2014): audio interview with assistant special effects artist Ian Scoones
Interviews with property master Peter Allchorne and assistant costume designer Yvonne Blake (2021)
Hammer’s Women: Freda Jackson (2021): profile of the Shadow of the Cat actress by academic Lucy Bolton
Introduction by critic and author Kim Newman (2021)
Filmed appreciation of Mikis Theodorakis’ score by David Huckvale, author of Hammer Film Scores and the Musical Avant-Garde (2021)
Shadow Play: Inside ‘The Shadow of the Cat’ (2014): documentary featuring Hammer historians Alan Barnes, Marcus Hearn, Denis Meikle, Jason Morell and Jonathan Rigby, author of English Gothic: Classic Horror Cinema 1897–2015
Original theatrical trailer
TV Spot
Image gallery: promotional and publicity material
New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Craig Ian Mann, archival articles and interviews, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits.
UK premiere on Blu-ray
All extras subject to change
 
 

FULL REVIEW and RARE STILLS GALLERY 'THE SHADOW OF THE CAT' at the PCASUK Marcus Brooks Supplement blog,The Black Box Club HERE! 
 

ABOVE: In the words of Peter and Christopher Lee, 'Sweet GIRL!' 
All then, in their senior years Barbara Shelley in 'Shadow of the Cat' 
rare lobby still
 

CAPTAIN CLEGG


High Definition remaster
Original mono audio
Alternative presentation with US Night Creatures title sequence
Audio commentary with film historian and filmmaker Constantine Nasr (2021)
The BEHP Interview with Peter Graham Scott (2004): career-spanning filmed interview, made as part of the British Entertainment History Project, featuring Scott in conversation with Darrol Blake and John Sealey
The Making of ‘Captain Clegg’ (2014): actor John Carson narrates this documentary with insights from film historian Wayne Kinsey
The Mossman Legacy: George Mossman’s Carriage Collection (2014): Wayne Kinsey looks at this important contribution to the world of Hammer
Hammer’s Women: Molly Arbuthnot and Rosemary Burrows (2014): profile of the prolific Hammer wardrobe mistresses by film historian Josephine Botting
Introduction by Kim Newman (2021)
Documentary looking at the life and work of Peter Cushing featuring contributions from actors Derek Fowlds, Madeline Smith and Judy Matheson (2021)
Filmed appreciation of Don Banks’ score by David Huckvale (2021)
Original theatrical trailer
Image gallery: promotional and publicity material
New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Frank Collins, Kieran Foster on Peter Cushing’s attempts to make a Dr Syn film, archival articles and interviews, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits.
All extras subject to change

 



THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
 


ABOVE: SOME GREAT RARE IMAGES
to be found from the #Powerhousefilms Hammer film Blu Ray release, 'The Phantom of the Opera' at the PCASUK Marcus Brooks The Black Box Club supplement site, RIGHT HERE! 
 
2K restoration presented in both 1.66:1 and 1.85:1 original aspect ratios
Original mono audio
Audio commentary on the 1.85:1 version with film historians Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson (2020)
Audio commentary on the 1.66:1 version with author Steve Haberman and Constantine Nasr (2020)
Hammer’s Women: Liane Aukin (2021): profile of the actor, writer and director by the academic Rachel Knightley
Introduction by Kim Newman (2021)
The Men Who Made Hammer: Anthony Hinds (2020): Richard Klemensen, editor and publisher of Little Shoppe of Horrors magazine, revisits the career of one of Hammer’s most renowned screenwriters and producers
Phantom Triumphant: Edwin Astley and Hammer’s Horror Opera (2020): David Huckvale dissects the classic score
Herbert Lom: The Soul Behind the Mask (2020): film historian and screenwriter C Courtney Joyner shares personal memories of time spent with the legendary actor
Interview with special effects artist Brian Johnson (2020)
The Making of The ‘Phantom of The Opera’ (2014): documentary presented by actor Edward De Souza, including interviews with film historian Richard Golen, sound recordist Alan Lavender, and De Souza himself
Brian Trenchard-Smith trailer commentary (2013): a short critical appreciation
Original theatrical trailer
Image gallery: promotional and publicity material
New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Adam Scovell, archival articles and interviews, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits.
All extras subject to change

 



ABOVE: FULL REVIEW AND RARE STILLS GALLERY
of 'The Phantom of the Opera' at the PCASUK Marcus Brooks Supplement site,RIGHT HERE! 
 
NIGHTMARE


High Definition remaster
Original mono audio
Audio commentary with Kevin Lyons, editor of The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film and Television, and Jonathan Rigby (2021)
The BEHP Interview with Freddie Francis (1994): career-spanning audio interview, made as part of the British Entertainment History Project, featuring Francis in conversation with Alan Lawson and Syd Wilson
Jennie Linden Remembers (2016): interview with the Nightmare actress
Hammer’s Women: Moira Redmond (2021): profile of the film, TV and theatre actor by critic and film historian Pamela Hutchinson
Introduction by Kim Newman (2021)
Madhouse: Inside Hammer’s ‘Nightmare’ (2016): documentary with Wayne Kinsey which includes archive interviews with screenwriter Jimmy Sangster, art director Don Mingaye and actress Jennie Linden
Nightmare in the Making (2016): author Kevin Barnes and Jonathan Rigby revisit the production
Filmed appreciation of Don Banks’ score by David Huckvale (2021)
Original theatrical trailer
Image gallery: promotional and publicity material
New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Emma Westwood, archival articles and interviews, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits.
All extras subject to change

 
Limited edition box set of 6,000 numbered units# PHILTD230
BBFC cert: 12
REGION B

 

YOU ARE MOST WELCOME TO JOIN US and over 34,000 others Peter Cushing followers at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE! With posts every day, rare images and photographs, features ad prize competitions.. all celebrating the LIFE and CAREER of Peter Cushing  OBE